This invention relates to a binding tool for binding and fixing a bundle of cables.
Heretofore, there are widely used binding tools for binding bundles of cables and fixing them to support members such as chassis and panels.
Some of such binding tools comprise two parts: a main member and a lateral member. In such a binding tool, the main member is provided with a laterally extending bottom portion, first and second arm portions extending upward from right and left ends of the bottom portion, respectively, and first and second sawtooth-like notch portions provided on the first and second arm portions, respectively, as longitudinally continuing notched parts. The lateral member is provided with a lateral bar bridged between the first and second arm portions and first and second engaging pieces provided on right and left ends of the lateral bar, respectively, and constituted to be engaged with the first and second sawtooth-like notch portions, respectively.
The binding tool is used, for example, in the following manner. Firstly, the bottom portion of the main member is fixed to a support with a bolt or the like and a bundle of cables are mounted on the bottom portion. Secondly, the lateral bar is bridged between the first and second arm portions, and the first and second engaging pieces are engaged with the first and second sawtooth-like notch portions, respectively, so that the cables can be clamped between the bottom portion and the lateral bar (lateral member). Consequently, the bundle of cables are bound and fixed to the support.
Specifically, in this binding tool, when the lateral bar is bridged between the first and second arm portions and the lateral member is pushed down relative to the main member with a force larger than a predetermined value, the first and second engaging pieces can be respectively moved downward along the first and second sawtooth-like notch portions with the lateral bar being elastically deformed. And by engaging the first and second engaging pieces with the first and second sawtooth-like notch portions, respectively, at the positions in which the bundle of cables are clamped between the bottom portion and the lateral bar, the bundle of the cables can be bound and fixed to the support.
On the other hand, in order to release the bundle of cables from binding and fixation to the binding tool, the engagements of the first and second engaging pieces with the first and second sawtooth-like notch portions, respectively, are released by elastically deforming the lateral bar with an operator""s hand and the like (in more detail, by elastically deforming a part of the lateral bar near the first engaging piece and a part of the lateral bar near the second engaging piece). Then, the lateral member can be removed from the main member.
When this binding tool is used, the bundle of cables can be bound and fixed certainly by varying the distance between the bottom portion and the lateral bar, even if the number or the thickness of the cables to be bound and fixed is changed.
However, as for such a conventional binding tool, there is a problem that use of the tool is occasionally inconvenient because the lateral bar is sometimes slanted off from the lateral direction when the lateral bar is bridged between the first and second arm portions.
Specifically, for example, when the left and right ends of the lateral bar are not pushed down equally to the bottom portion (main member) and the lateral bar is slanted off from the lateral direction, the lateral member is caught on the main member (that is, a frictional force exerted between the first engaging piece and the first sawtooth-like notch portion or a frictional force exerted between the second engaging piece and the second sawtooth-like notch portion becomes too large), and it occasionally becomes difficult for the strength of the operator""s hand to push down the lateral member to a desired position. In some other cases, the bundle of cables can not be bound and fixed with a sufficient force because the engagements of the first and second engaging pieces with the first and second sawtooth-like notch portions, respectively, become unstable.
The present invention is presented to solve the above-mentioned problem and the object of the present invention is to provide a binding tool in which left and right ends of a lateral member can be equally pushed down relative to a main member.
A binding tool of the present invention comprises a main member provided with a bottom portion extending laterally, first and second arm portions extending upward from two positions on the bottom portion laterally spaced out by a predetermined distance, and first and second sawtooth-like notch portions provided on the first and the second arm portions, respectively, as longitudinally continuing notched portions, and a lateral member provided with a lateral bar bridged between the first and the second arm portions for clamping a bundle of cables with the bottom portion and first and second engaging pieces disposed on both left and right ends of the lateral bar, respectively, for engaging with the first and the second sawtooth-like notch portions, respectively, so as to bind and fix the cables between the main member and the lateral member, wherein at least either on the main member or the lateral member, there is provided a slant preventing portion for preventing the lateral bar from being slanted off from the lateral direction, when the lateral bar is bridged between the first and the second arm portions.
According to the binding tool of the present invention, a bundle of cables can be bound and fixed by setting the cables (or the bundle of cables) on the bottom portion fixed to a support member by a predetermined method, bridging the lateral bar between the first and the second arm portions, and engaging the first and the second engaging pieces with the first and the second sawtooth-like notch portions, respectively, so that the cables are clamped between the bottom portion and the lateral bar.
And according to the binding tool of the present invention, even when the thickness or the number of cables is changed, the cables can be bound and fixed certainly by changing engaging positions of the first and the second engaging pieces with the first and the second sawtooth-like notch portions, respectively, to adjust the distance between the bottom portion and the lateral bar.
Moreover, in the binding tool of the present invention, since the slant preventing portion is provided at least on one of the main member and the lateral member, the left and right sides of the lateral bar can be equally pushed down relative to the main member.
Specifically, since the lateral bar is prevented from being slanted off from the lateral direction by the slant preventing portion when the lateral bar is bridged between the first and the second arm portions, the left and right sides of the lateral member can be equally pushed down relative to the main member.
As a result, when the lateral member is pushed down relative to the main member, the lateral member is prevented from being caught on the main member and so the lateral member can be easily pushed down to a desired position with respect to the main member. Furthermore, engagements of the first and the second engaging pieces with the first and the second sawtooth-like notch portions, respectively, do not become unstable and so the cables are bound and fixed with a sufficient force.
In another aspect of the present invention, the slant preventing portion comprises a first engaging protrusion extending longitudinally either on the first arm portion or on the lateral member and a first guide groove provided either on the first arm portion or on the lateral member, on which the first engaging protrusion is not provided, such that the first engaging protrusion can be longitudinally slidably engaged with the groove, and both left and right faces of the first engaging protrusion are guided in the groove when the first engaging protrusion is engaged therewith.
This second aspect shows an embodiment of the slant preventing portion in the binding tool of the present invention and exhibits the same effect as mentioned above.
Since the first engaging protrusion is engaged with the first guide groove movably in the longitudinal direction, as mentioned above, when the lateral bar is bridged between the first and the second arm portions to change the engaging positions of the first and the second engaging pieces with the first and the second sawtooth-like notch portions, respectively, the first engaging protrusion is moved longitudinally along the first guide groove.
And when the lateral bar is thus bridged between the first and the second arm portions and when the engaging protrusion is longitudinally moved, the lateral bar is prevented from being slanted off from the lateral direction, because both left and right faces of the first engaging protrusion are guided in the first guide groove.
Therefore, according to the binding tool of the present invention, the left and right sides of the lateral member can be uniformly pushed down relative to the main member after the lateral bar is bridged between the first and the second arm portions, with a result that the same effect as that of the binding tool of the first aspect of the present invention is attained.
A further aspect of the present invention comprises an insertion hole bored through the lateral member on an end of the lateral member at the first arm portion side so that the first arm portion can be inserted when the lateral bar is bridged between the first and the second arm portions, wherein either the first engaging protrusion or the first guide groove is provided on the inner face of the insertion hole, and either the first engaging protrusion or the first guide groove, which is not provided on the inner face of the insertion hole, is provided on a position of the first arm portion corresponding to either the first engaging protrusion or the first guide groove, which is provided on the inner face.
When the binding tool is constituted in such a way, since the first arm portion is inserted in the insertion hole on bridging the lateral bar between the first and the second arm portions, the lateral member is stably held by the main member and falling off of the lateral member from the main member is avoided after the lateral bar is bridged between the first and the second arm portions.
Since one of the first engaging protrusion and the first guide groove is provided on the inner face of the insertion hole and the other one is provided on the first arm portion, the engagement of the first engaging protrusion and the first guide groove is made in the insertion hole. Therefore, the first engaging protrusion and the first guide groove are not disengaged after the lateral bar is bridged between the first and the second arm portions, as far as the first arm portion is not released from the insertion hole. Accordingly, the lateral member can be uniformly pushed down relative to the main member.
Subsequently, a fourth aspect of the invention comprises a second engaging protrusion extending longitudinally either on a position on the inner face other than the position on which either the first engaging protrusion or the first guide groove is provided, or on a position on the first arm portion other than the position on which either the first engaging protrusion or the first guide groove is provided, and a second guide groove provided on a position on the inner face or on a position on the first arm portion, on which the second engaging protrusion is not provided, such that the second engaging protrusion can be longitudinally movably engaged with the second guide groove, and both left and right faces of the second engaging protrusion are guided in the second guide groove when the second engaging protrusion is engaged therewith.
In the fourth aspect of the invention, since one of the second engaging protrusion and the second guide groove is further provided on the inner face of the insertion hole and the other one is provided on the first arm portion, the second engaging protrusion is engaged with the second guide groove in the insertion hole. Therefore, the lateral member is held by the main member more stably, and the left and right ends of the lateral member can be pushed down relative to the main member more certainly, after the lateral member is bridged between the first and the second arm portions, compared with the case in which only the first engaging protrusion and the first guide groove are engaged in the insertion hole.
In a fifth aspect of the present invention, the first and the second sawtooth-like notch portions are provided on the faces of the first and the second arm portions opposite to the faces of the first and the second arm portions facing to each other, respectively, and the first and the second engaging pieces are provided on positions corresponding to the first and the second sawtooth-like notch portions, respectively.
In such a binding tool, since the first and the second sawtooth-like notch portions are provided on the faces opposite to the faces of the first and the second arm portions facing to each other, the lateral widths of the first and the second arm portions can be lessened, respectively.
Specifically, in the binding tool of this type, the width of the side face of the first arm portion provided with the first sawtooth-like notch portion (that is, thickness of the first arm portion in the transverse direction) and the width of the side face of the second arm portion provided with the second sawtooth-like notch portion (that is, thickness of the second arm portion in the transverse direction) should be relatively large in order to ensure the engagements of the first engaging piece and the second engaging piece with the first sawtooth-like notch portion and the second sawtooth-like notch portion, respectively. On the other hand, the lateral widths of the first and the second arm portions can be lessened as long as there is no problem concerning strength of the material, because the first and the second sawtooth-like notch portions are not provided on them.
Subsequently, in a sixth aspect of the present invention, the first and the second engaging pieces can be moved on the first and the second sawtooth-like notch portions, respectively, accompanied by elastic deformation of the lateral bar when the lateral member is moved downward relative to the main member after the lateral bar is bridged between the first and the second arm portions, and the first and the second engaging pieces are engaged with the first and the second sawtooth-like notch portions, respectively, when the lateral member is moved upward relative to the main member after the lateral bar is bridged between the first and the second arm portions.
According to the binding tool of this type, since the first and the second engaging pieces can be moved on the first and the second sawtooth-like notch portions, respectively, accompanied by elastic deformation of the lateral bar when the lateral member is moved down relative to the main member after the lateral bar is bridged between the first and the second arm portions, operation of downward movement of the lateral member can be easily carried out by one hand of the operator.
Moreover, in the above-mentioned binding tool, when the lateral member is bridged between the first and the second arm portions after setting the cables on the bottom portion and then the lateral member is moved down relative to the main member, the cables are bound and fixed by the binding tool and the cables are prevented from being removed from the binding tool.
Specifically, in a state in which the first and the second engaging pieces are engaged with the first and the second sawtooth-like notch potions, respectively, even if an upward force is exerted to the cables (also to the lateral member), the first and the second engaging pieces are engaged with the first and the second sawtooth-like notch portions, respectively, and the lateral member is prevented from being removed from the main member. Therefore, the cables are prevented from being removed from the binding tool.
Subsequently, in a seventh aspect of the present invention, there are provided first and second operating protrusions for releasing the engagements of the first and the second engaging pieces with the first and the second sawtooth-like notch portions, respectively, on the positions near the first and the second engaging pieces, respectively.
According to the binding tool of the seventh aspect of the present invention, operation for releasing the cables from the binding tool after the cables are bound and fixed by the binding tool can be easily carried out.
In more detail, when the cables bound and fixed by the binding tool of the present invention are removed from the binding tool, it becomes possible for the cables to be removed by releasing the lateral member from the main member after the engagements of the first and the second engaging pieces with the first and the second sawtooth-like notch portions, respectively, are released by pinching with a hand of the operator and elastically deforming the positions of the lateral member near the first and the second engaging pieces.
And according to the binding tool of this type, since the first and the second operating protrusions are provided on the positions pinched with a hand of the operator, the operation for removing the bound and fixed cables can be easily carried out.
Subsequently, an eighth aspect of the present invention is provided on the upper end of the second arm portion with a rotation support engaging with an end of the lateral member at the second arm portion side, for preventing the lateral member from being separated from the second arm portion when the lateral member is rotated with the end as a rotation axis.
According to the binding tool of the eighth aspect of the present invention, when the end of the lateral member at the second arm portion side is positioned on the upper end of the second arm portion, the end of the lateral member is engaged with the rotation support. And the lateral member can be rotated with the end as a rotation axis by the engagement with the rotation support and prevented from being separated from the second arm portion. Therefore, the lateral member is prevented from being lost after the binding and fixing of the cables with the binding tool is released.
Specifically, at first, an end of the lateral member at the first arm portion side is released from the upper end of the first arm portion and the lateral member is rotated as described above so that a state in which the lateral bar is not bridged between the first and the second arm portions is realized and the cables set on the bottom portion can be removed from the binding tool. Moreover, since the lateral member is prevented from being separated from the second arm portion by the rotation support after the removal of cables, the main member and the lateral member can be kept together and the lateral member is prevented from being lost.